Wagon-body



v (No Model.) e

, C. A. ERICKSON.

WAGONBODY.

N0..514,067. Patented Feb. 6, 1894.

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UNITED CHARLES A. ERICKSON, OF RED WING, MINNESOTA.

WAGON-BODY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,067, dated February 6, 1894.

Application filed July 27, 1893. Serial No. 481,619. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, CHARLES A. ERICKSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Red Wing, in the countyof Goodhue and State of Minnesota, have invented new and useful Im# provements in Vehicle-Bodies, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a new and improved metal-sheathed vehicle to. body having curved corner portions, and which is comparatively light in Weight, but strong, durable, efficient, and desirable in practical. use, and particularly designed for buggies, but useful for other vehicles.

The invention also has for its obj ect to provide novel means for detachably securing the seat to the metal-sheathed top rim of the body, whereby any desired number of seats can be utilized, and any seat can be quickly and conzo veniently removed and replaced or adjusted to different positions, or reversed to either end of the body.

To accomplish these objects my invention consists in the features of construction and 2 5 the combination or arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a buggy body constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view; and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view, showing a portion of one of the seat-supporting standards. 3 5 In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawings, wherein The numeral l indicates the horizontal bottom wall of the vehicle body, around the edge or margin of which is disposed at intervals a series of studs, uprights, or posts 2 rigidly secured at their lower ends to the wood bottom, and rigidly secured at their upper ends to a 4 5 horizontal wooden top rail 3 which is continuous around the entire vehicle body.

The corner portions 4 of the wood bottom are curved in the arc of a circle, and the cor 11er portions 5 of the top rail 3 are likewise 5o curved to correspond with the curved corner portions of the bottom, for the purpose of producing a symmetrical structure which is very desirable.

The studs, uprights, or posts are separated A at a considerable distance apart along the longitudinal sides of the body, but at the end portions thereof the studs, uprights, or posts are arranged closely together for the purpose of obtaining the desired stiffness and bracing the structure in such manner thatthe wooden 6o y side and end parts of the body may be made of skeleton form to secure lightness in weight without reducin g' the strength and durability of the body.

The sides and ends of the body are sheathed with a continuous sheet metal plate 6 having its lower edge secured to the edge portion of the bottom wall, and its upper edge bent inwardly and lapped over the continuous top rail, as at '7. The corner portions of the sheet 7o metal plate are curved, as at 8, and the flanged or lapped portion 7 of the plate is slitted and crimped, as at 9, at each corner portion to accurately conform the plate to the curved portions of the top rail and bottom wall. By this means a neat, attractive, and symmetrical metal-sheathedbody is provided which is particularly adapted for buggies, but is useful for other vehicles. The continuous sheet metal plate closes in the spaces between 8o the studs 2, and this sheathing may be painted or ornamented in any desired manner to suit the conditions or the taste of the user.

The longitudinal portions of the top rail 3 are constructed with recesses 10 near each 85 end of the body, and the anged or lapped portions 7 of the sheet-metal sheathing is provided with slots registering with the recesses, so that the hook 12, formed upon one of the seat-supporting standards 13 at each end of 9o the seat 14: can be engaged with or disengaged from one of the recesses 10, While the other standard is inserted in, or withdrawn from the other recess l0, on the same side. The seat 14 is composed of wood, but the back 15 'is 95 constructed from a single piece of sheet metal shaped into the desired form, and nailed or otherwise secured to the seat 14. The standards 13 are composed of metal, and are braced from the seat 14 through the medium of roo braces 16 which are preferably extended and formed integral with the hooks 12 to produce an economical construction.

By providing the top rail 3 with a series of recesses 10 along each side of the body, and constructing the flange 7 of the sheet metal sheathing with slots to register with these recesses, it is possible to use any desired number of seats on a single body; and, furthermore, a seat can be quickly removed and replaced, or it can be adjusted to different positions along the length of the body, or it can be reversed and applied to either end thereof.

My invention provides a novel, simple, eiiicient, and economical metal-sheathed vehicle body, which is light in weight, and strong and durable in use, while the wooden sides and ends can be made of skeleton form as the sheet-metal sheathing closes up the spaces between the studs, uprights or posts, as before explained.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A vehicle body, consisting of a horizon` tal wood bottom, studs disposed at intervals around the margin of the wood bottom, a continuous Wooden top rail secured tothe upper ends of the studs, and a sheet-metal sheathing closing the spaces between the studs, and continuously lapped over the top rail, said top rail having a series of recesses to receive seat-supporting standards, one of which at each end ot' the seat is hooked substantially as described.

2. A vehicle body, consisting of a horizontal wood bottom having curved corner portions, studs disposed at intervals around the margin of the Wood bottom, a continuous top rail secured to the upper ends of the studs and having curved corner portions, and a series of recesses along each longitudinal portion, a sheet metal sheathing closing the spaces between the studs, continuously lapped over the top rail and crimped and bent at the corners to fit the curved corner portions of the Wood bottom and top rail, and a seat having one of 'its supporting standards at each end of the seat provided with pendent hooks which can be engaged with any of the recesses in the said top rail, substantially as described.

3. A vehicle body, consisting of a horizontal wood bottom having curved corner portions, studs disposed at intervals around the margin of the wood bottom and widely separated along the sides thereof but closely arranged at the ends of the same, a continuous Wooden top rail secured to the upper ends of the studs and having curved corner portions corresponding to the curved corner portions of the wood bottom, andasheet-metal sheathing closing the spacing between the studs, continuously lapped over the top rail and crimped and bent at the corners to t the curved corner portions of the wood bottom and top rail, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES A. ERICKSON. 

